The General Manager, Corporate Communications Division of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Dr. Obinna Ezeobi has identified creativity and innovation as part of the driving force in the implementation of local content policy in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Addressing a capacity audience at the Bayelsa Creatives Converge 2.0, held at the D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Ovom, Yenagoa, he said changing the way things were done in the sector demanded creativity and pragmatism after the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010.
The NOGICD Act, he explained, was instituted to reverse decades of near-total dominance of the industry by foreign business interests and expertise, when in-country value retention was less than five per cent and the industry had little positive impact on other sectors of the national economy. Today, after 15 years, local content is 56 per cent.
Reinventing the sector to maximise the participation of Nigerians as well as utilisation of Nigerian assets had to be pursued creatively, to retain investor confidence, while also ensuring that operational standards are not compromised in any manner detrimental to the growth and development of the industry.
Dr. Obinna pointed out that creativity guides the NCDMB in its Human Capital Development (HCD) programme, having to determine skill gaps and the requisite resources to be deployed to remedy such deficits through diverse trainings in Nigeria and abroad. The latest initiative in that direction is the Field Readiness Training Programme under which the Board will train 10,000 young Nigerian graduates in the top-10 high-demand skills in the oil and gas industry in anticipation of upcoming big-ticket projects.
He urged graduates who are 35 years and below with qualifications in engineering, geology and the sciences to access the Board’s Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content (NOGIC) Jon Qualification System (JQS) portal to apply.
Creativity, according to him, also underpins the Board’s drive in building capacities and capabilities among indigenous companies through targeted interventions like the US$400 million Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF), equity participation, and the creation of Project 100 Companies through which the Board, in conjunction with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, facilitated the emergence and nurture of upstart companies some of which have evolved into big industry playersin the industry.
The CCD boss also pointed out that the Board is guided by innovation in monitoring local content compliance by oil and gas industry players, acting ever as a business enabler, seeking to enthrone optimum conditions for operations in the sector.
He also stated that NCDMB has a corporate policy to promote creative activities as evidenced by its sponsorship of National Undergraduate Essay Competitions and book reading programmes among others.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, commended the convener of the Bayelsa Creatives Converge, Mr. Emma Eco, for providing a platform for productive interactions, noting that such fora were useful for motivation.
He advised youths to be focused in life, and to never let circumstances of birth hold them back. According to him, “Your environment shouldn’t limit you…You can achieve success wherever you are.”
He drew attention to trends in the tech world and how they could be beneficial to youths who are desirous of genuine success. While commending an earlier speaker, O.T. Derrick, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) expert from the Niger Delta University, for undertaking to train 500 youths in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the NDDC boss pledged to provide financial assistance and to add another 500 to the programme.
Other speakers at the event include Mr. Asu Ekiye, a gospel singer, Ms. Sarian Martin, a Nollywood actress, and two other contemporary artistes, namely, J. Martin and Timi Dakolo.
Earlier in opening remarks, the convener, Mr. Emma Eco, said he had realised the important roles creatives could play in society as problem solvers, and decided to bring them together under one roof so that they could “marry ideas…and explore areas of possible collaboration.”
The Bayelsa Creatives Converge is dedicated to fostering growth of the creative industry by providing a platform for intellectual discourse, exchange of ideas, and engagement with the wider society.
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